Legendary Track & Field Coach Jim Bibbs Passes Away

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Legendary Michigan State track & field coach Jim Bibbs passed away on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 97 years old (1929-2026).

Bibbs was the longest tenured track & field coach in program history, coaching the Spartans from 1968-95 at Michigan State. During Bibbs' career, his student-athletes won 52 Big Ten titles, earned 26 All-America honors, claimed three NCAA titles and set two world records.

He made history when he was appointed Michigan State's head track & field coach in 1977, as he became the first Black head coach in school history, and the first Black track and field head coach in the Big Ten.

But Bibbs' long, illustrious career in track as a runner and a coach almost never got out of the starting blocks.

A baseball star at Ecorse High School, Bibbs was offered a Class A contract by the New York Yankees upon graduation. He chose instead to pursue his education at Eastern Michigan. But with no freshmen baseball team available to play on at Eastern, Bibbs decided to join the track team - and a love affair was born.

Bibbs found instant success as a sprinter and even clocked a then-world record time of 6.1 in the 60-yard dash while earning All-America honors in 1951, matching a time held by legendary Olympian Jesse Owens. He was also a three-time Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion at 100 and 220 yards and from 1949-51 he led EMU to three straight IIAC titles.

After earning his bachelor's degree, Bibbs went to Wayne State and earned his master's. He taught physical education in the Detroit school system and began coaching track at the high school level in 1959. He founded the Detroit Track Club, which traveled around the country to different events, and also helped with the AAU track club in the city.

In 1964, Bibbs started a successful four-year run as the head track coach at his hometown Ecorse High School. His teams climbed the ladder at the state championships every year, placing fourth in 1964, third in 1965, second in 1966 and finally first in 1967. In his duties mentoring the Detroit Track Club, he guided the women's team to four consecutive national relay titles (1964-67). And he also led the U.S. Women's Track Team to victory in eight of 11 events in the 1967 Pan American games.

For all his success during those years, Bibbs believes Ecorse's showing at the Spartan Invitational Relays - in which his squads won back-to-back titles in 1966 and 1967 - was perhaps the most important. That's where Bibbs caught the eye of Michigan State AD Clarence "Biggie" Munn, who offered him a coaching position.

Starting as an assistant in 1968, the first Black coach in MSU history, Bibbs became head coach of the MSU men's track and field program in 1977. His sprinters were the class of the Big Ten during his Spartan years. Two pupils stood tallest among his accomplished list of star sprinters: Marshall Dill and Herb Washington. Both men were Spartan teammates in the early 1970s and combined for three NCAA titles, six All-America honors and 18 Big Ten titles.

Under Bibbs' guidance, Dill and Washington once set a pair of indoor world records at the same meet – the 1972 Michigan State Relays – and came within .1 of combining for a third. Dill broke the all-time 300-yard dash standard, while Washington took the 60-yard dash record – a record once held by Bibbs, himself. The two joined up as part of the sprint medley relay team that just missed the world record.

Although he was the men's coach, Bibbs also worked closely with the female sprinters, including Karen Dennis, a former Michigan State All-American who coached women's track at MSU from 1982-92 and went on to coach the U.S. National Team in the 2000 Olympics, and Judi Brown Clarke, an NCAA champion and 1984 Olympic silver medal winner in the 400-meter hurdles.

On the international scene, Bibbs was the head coach for the men's North team at the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival and an assistant for the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival.

Bibbs retired as head coach in 1995 but remained a regular attender at Spartan Athletic events. He was selected as Michigan State's 2022 Homecoming Grand Marshal.

In 2010, Bibbs was elected into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame. He is also enshrined in the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame (2005), Eastern Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame (1979), Michigan Amateur Athlete Hall of Fame (1974) and Detroit Public Schools Hall of Fame.

Remembering Coach Jim Bibbs

Dan Bartholomae, Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics
"The thoughts and prayers of Michigan State Athletics are with the family and loved ones of Coach Jim Bibbs. I was fortunate to meet and speak with Coach Bibbs, and I was struck by the love and care he had for Michigan State, Spartan Athletics and the people within. The championships, the All-Americans, the records, they all speak for themselves. He was a game changer and his coaching and mentorship had a transformational impact on the lives of countless Spartans. He embodied the very best of what it means to be a Spartan."

Lisa Breznau, Michigan State Director of Track & Field/Cross Country
"It is with heartfelt sympathy that I extend my condolences to the family, former student-athletes, alumni, and all those mourning the loss and celebrating the life of Coach Bibbs. Coach was a legendary and trailblazing figure whose impact extended far beyond track and field. His leadership, vision, and dedication helped pave the way for others, creating opportunities and leaving a legacy that will continue to shape the lives of generations to come."

Tom Izzo, Michigan State Men's Basketball Head Coach
"Jim Bibbs is truly one of the icons of Spartan Athletics. He cared deeply about Michigan State University and even more passionately for the hundreds, if not thousands, of young men and women he impacted. His career is defined by its excellence, the barriers he broke, and the relationships he created.

"Coach Bibbs was one of the first people I met when I got to Michigan State, and as a young coach, I would walk up the stairs at Jenison many times each week for advice and perspective. The meaningful conversations we had still guide me today. He'll be remembered for his accomplishments with MSU Track & Field, but his impact and wisdom were felt throughout the entire department.

"Thirty-plus years after his retirement, he remained loyal to our University and an active supporter of MSU Athletics. My thoughts are with his family, friends and all the Spartans whose lives he enriched."

Alan Haller, Former MSU Student-Athlete (Football/Track & Field), Former MSU AD
"Coach Bibbs was truly a special person in my life. He was so much more than my track coach—he was a mentor who helped guide me through every major point in my life. From high school and college through my adult life and becoming a father, Coach Bibbs was always there. His presence was incredible, and the lessons he taught me went far beyond the track. I also saw how deeply he loved Mrs. Bibbs. Their relationship was incredible to watch and showed me what love should look like. I am grateful to have had Coach Bibbs in my life. I loved him and I will carry his lessons and his memory with me forever."

Michigan State University Athletics

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